RGB capturing and frame drops

[mits]

Hi all,
I was experimenting with RGB/Huffyuv capturing and i noticed the following strange behaviour :
If i capture with NO audio then i have NO dropped frames
if i capture with audioeven with the lowest quality setting i have 15% dropped frames
Why does this happen ? is it a bandwith problem or cpu related ??

System Specs
PII 350 @ 466(3.5*133 PCI bus divided by 4)
196 Mb RAM PC-133
BX based mobo (ECS p6-BXA+)
Mill II/ RR-S (PCI)
Maxtor DMax-40+ 30Gb as capturing drive
Promise Ultra 66 Controller
SB 32 ISA (software upgraded to AWE 64)
Adaptec 1505 ISA scsi controller for the scanner
Capturing with avi_io @ 352*288, RGB/24 bit,
Compression either uncompressed or Huffyuv fastest settings

Thanks

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mits

[Dr Mordrid]

It means;

1. you're using far too light a CPU for such things, even with the overclocking

and

2. you have way too much bus loading for said CPU type and speed.

3. neither the Promise or Matrox cards usually like being overclocked, especially for vidcap.

Go out and get yourself a PIII made to run at a 133 bus and you'll be much happier.

Dr. Mordrid

[Technoid]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">
SB 32 ISA (software upgraded to AWE 64)
</font>

Your shure no one is pulling your leg?

An SB32 and an AWE64 has different Hardware circuits and software uppdates are usualy only apliable to modems and etc that has onboard firmware (ie a kind of bios).

The main difference is that the AWE 64 Gold can handle 48Khz and that every variant of the 64 has 64 voices hardware synth and a option to use a sofftware synth with the same amount of voices (that sounds crappy).


If you have some proggy that emulate the missing hardware parts it is bound to have negative effects on your capture performance.

[mits]

1. Doc thanks a lot, but i don't understand why Matrox and Promise don't like overclock since in my case the PCI bus still runs within specs ie 33Mhz.
2. Technoid, the upgrade is actually AWE 64 functionality and was offered from the Creative Labs (25 US$) some years ago. What the upgrade does is that it adds Creative's WaveSynth/Waveguide functionality since both cadrs featureded the same EMU chip (also the card has 2 sims slots (30 pin) which i have filled with 8Mb ram and i can use all the soundfonts that were offered with the AWE 64. SB 32 does not become an AWE 64 Gold but definetely has AWE 64 functionality. Let me know if i miss something.

[Dr Mordrid]

If the PCI bus is still running at 33mhz then you're OK there, but your system is still a bit light. Consider a CPU upgrade since they are dirt cheap now.

Dr. Mordrid

[Scouser]

Hi,

The Wavesynth upgrade on your card effectivly adds a 'softsynth' MIDI device, which in case you didn't know, is purely driven by your CPU. Obviously you're not using/playing MIDI while capturing so it 'shouldn't' be taking up CPU time....but then again, this is Creative software :P

You could try disabling the Wavesynth to see if it helps, this is how you disable it, which can be reversed anytime:

Control Panel > Multimedia > Devices >
Midi Devices and Instruments-

Look for the 'Wavesynth' reference here, highlight it, click Properties and tick:
'Do not use MIDI features on this device'.

Then ok, ok, ok back to windows.....

For your information, i use a 30 gig Maxtor ATA66 which Matrox's HD benchmark rates at 11.80mb/s, what does your's benchmark at ?

I'm running a 1gig Athlon, and i can capture to HuffyYUV at full PAL resolution to the Maxtor drive with minor to no drops ( if i stay away from the kb/mouse :P), VDub CPU indicator hovers around 30 - 40%

Let us know how you get on

Scouser
(Tom)

b.t.w I'm 29 today! (physicaly 40, mentaly ALWAYS 18 :P)

[mits]

Doc thanks again, i'll have a look around for a fairly-new cpu or a powerleap-slotket solution (since my m/b is a slot1 and does not have voltage regulator)

Scouser, i know that wavesynth is actually a software synth device and that's why it is disabled most of the time except in game times. As far as the Maxtor is concerned well the Matrox benchmark gives me something between 14.5 ~ 17 Mb/s depending on whether i have defragmented the drive first.
Happy birthday (i'm already around 40 but mentally ???? hmmm well i believe i still have time to decide)

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mits

[Dr Mordrid]

If you can find a Gigabyte GA-6R7Pro/6R7+ jumperless slotkey buy it. All you have to do is insert the CPU and plug 'er in. It totally sets itself up for voltage and PGA/FCPGA differences. I have 6 systems using them with CPU's from 600mhz CeleronII's to 850 mhz PIII's in slot1 boards (Asus P3B-F & P2B).

Dr. Mordrid